Jesus, Jim!
by SpirkTrekker42
Summary: This is the story of Jesus.  That is, if Jesus lived in the 23rd century, captained a starship, and was bonded to a Vulcan. Kirk breaks the Prime Directive and must face the consequences. K/S SLASH. Est. relationship. Written for the ksadvent LJ community


Disclaimer: The rights to Star Trek belong to Gene Roddenberry, and NuTrek belongs to J.J. Abrams, Orci, and Kurtzman.

A/N: This is a different sort of Christmas story. It's not the super sappy stuff you're used to from me. I just couldn't get this (serious) idea out of my head. But don't worry, there's fluff at the end, promise!

Jesus, Jim!

"_Happy 33rd Birthday, Jim."_

"_Happy Anniversary, Spock." They raised their translucent indigo goblets, one containing red wine, the other holding a chocolate liqueur. Jim caught his bondmate's eye. "You know, when you first suggested that we bond on my birthday, I thought it was the worst idea you'd ever had."_

"_And now?"_

"_Now I realize it was a sneaky attempt on your part to keep me from getting shit-faced on the anniversary of my dad's death."_

"_Indeed, t'hy'la," Spock's lips twitched. "I knew you would be overwhelmed with guilt if you imbibed incessantly on the day that marks our bonding." _

"_God, I love you." Jim's smile blinded him. Their glasses met with a resounding 'clink'._

This is the last happy memory of Jim that Spock can recall since his disappearance, along with those of Uhura and Sulu. Oh, Jim wasn't dead - Spock would know. But the not knowing was almost worse. The events following it ran through his head, and he often wondered if he had done something differently, would his captain still be with him?

A red alert had sounded, interrupting their romantic moment. They were informed that warp core had malfunctioned, leaving the _Enterprise _without working dilithium crystals. Jim, Uhura, and Sulu had beamed down to the nearest planet, P'tari, to harvest the essential material, and managed to locate the substance in crude form with the help of the pre-warp humanoid civilization that occupied the planet. But after the cases of crystals were beamed up, the locks on the away team's signal had been disrupted. An approaching ion storm had made it impossible for the transporters to function.

That's when the distress call had come in – the _Enterprise_ was the closest ship to the ailing planet being plagued by a mysterious disease. And while Spock did not want to leave his mate and two friends to the mercy of an uncharted planet, he'd had no choice but to respond to the distress call.

/Go on, Spock. We'll be fine./ Jim had urged. He knew Spock would return as soon as he could, and the safety of his ship was imperative.

/Be careful, t'hy'la. Please endeavor to stay out of trouble./

/When do I ever get in trouble?/

/_Jim_./

/Okay, okay. I won't do anything that might get myself killed./

/That is all I ask./

Spock had held on to Jim's mind until the distance between them grew too great to maintain contact.

But now, three months later, the disaster had been averted. After successfully ending a pandemic, the _Enterprise_ finally returned to the P'tarian system to search for their missing captain and crewmembers. Spock was determined to find Jim and the others using their link as a guide, but he could only sense him as far as his location, and could not communicate via thought-speech. Jim was shielding him for some reason, which only made the Vulcan even more anxious to check upon his mate.

"Ensign Nakajima, send a flare directly over the landing party's coordinates."

"Yes, Commander." The young Asian woman did as she was told.

"But Spock, what about the Prime Directive?" McCoy asked, flabbergasted that the Vulcan would break Starfleet's cardinal rule. "Who knows what the inhabitants of the planet will think?"

"I have calculated that there is only a 4.5% chance that Jim has not broken this rule in the three months he has been planetside. Therefore, as the damage is most likely already done, I see no reason as to why I should not deploy the flare."

"Guess that makes sense – Jim's not one to idly sit by while others are being hurt," grumbled the doctor. "That's one bright flare you got there." He stared out at the streak of blazing light. "The tail reminds me of one of those old-fashioned kites I used to fly as a kid."

Spock feigned indifference. "I assure you, Starfleet had no intention of designing the flare to resemble a Terran pastime."

McCoy groaned. "C'mon Spock. Let's go get our captain back."

He and Dr. McCoy beamed to the surface close to where Spock had felt the captain's presence. Even with him shielding, it wasn't too difficult for Spock to locate Jim – they found each other within fifteen minutes. The captain had taken residence in a broken down shack, in what was obviously the poor district of the city. To the Vulcan's delight, Jim was waiting for him at the door.

"Spock! God, am I glad to see you." The Vulcan allowed himself to be embraced by his enthusiastic bondmate. He returned the gesture – after all, it had been a hard three months apart.

"Jesus, Jim, could you be any harder to find?" McCoy complained, shooting a death glare his way. He brushed past the lovebirds to find the rest of the landing party. "Uhura, Sulu, thank God." The doctor was relieved that none of the three had been seriously injured. Still, he'd better give them a physical, just in case. "You two, Sickbay, now."

"But Leonard, we're fine," Uhura protested. "Jim took good care of us."

"I don't wanna hear it," the doctor grumbled. "Besides, everyone on board can't wait to see you." He looked directly at Sulu. "Pavel's going out of his mind with worry."

Sulu's features softened at the mention of his boyfriend. "I guess you're right. I've missed him as well. Go ahead, Doctor."

McCoy called for a beam up and the helmsman and communications officer winked out of sight.

"Come, Jim. We must return to the ship before the natives find us," Spock ordered as he reluctantly slipped out of his bondmate's hold.

"Ah… about that." Jim's guilty face surfaced, which was never a good sign.

"Dammit, what did you do?" A suspicious Bones asked.

"Well," Jim nervously licked his lips, "I took an interest in the local civilization while I was here."

"Oh, here we go…" the doctor muttered.

"Do not listen to the doctor – I would be most gratified to hear what you have to say," said Spock, gazing upon his mate with the utmost masked affection.

"Thank you," Jim said, shooting a "so there" look at Bones. "The P'taria natives all have purple skin, but there is a faction of dark purple beings who rule over the masses of lavender skinned beings. Those who belonged to the lower class were practically treated like slaves! I couldn't just sit back and allow this kind of thing to continue."

"What of the Prime Directive?" Spock inquired.

"The directive can be ignored if the culture has reached stagnation," Kirk insisted. "And believe me, the P'tari have reached stagnation. It was like a warped version of the ancient Roman Empire, only without the goofy hats."

"So what did you do once you found out how their government worked?" The doctor prodded.

Kirk winced. "Now don't freak out, but I kinda told them I was God."

"You didn't." Bones gaped at his friend.

"I assure you - he did," said Spock, glaring disapprovingly at his adun. "He is telling the truth."

"Don't look at me like that, guys," Kirk said hastily, holding up his hands. "It's not _that_ much of a stretch – my last name means 'church', after all. And besides, it was all I could think of at the time to explain why their weapons didn't affect me."

"What about Sulu and Uhura?" McCoy wondered. "What explanation did you come up with for them?"

"They were under my protection, and therefore could not be harmed," Kirk said smugly. "As humanoids, we don't carry a certain substance that P'tarians have, which, when stimulated the wrong way can cause extreme pain. But I couldn't have all three of us be gods, now could I? A monotheistic religion would be the easiest for me to implement."

"And what, pray tell, is the name of the new P'tari god?" Bones asked, not sure he really wanted to know the answer.

Jim grinned sweetly at his friend. "Tiberius the Awesome."

Spock tried not to laugh. It was ridiculous, really, that the natives had fallen for Jim's scheme. But then again, he had fallen head over heels for Jim's charm and dynamic mind, so he supposed it wasn't that far-fetched.

"As creative as that name is, I still don't see why you can't just beam back to the ship and be done with it." The doctor gave him a pointed look.

"I can't just disappear!" Kirk cried. "It would devastate their new order."

"You did not consider this before you elected to play God?" Spock asked.

"No, I didn't." Jim's voice was tinged with regret. "But I know a way to fix it."

"How?" Spock was skeptical.

Kirk gave him a slow, blinding grin. "Martyrdom. I'm going to sacrifice myself for the good of the people. How cool is that?"

"Oh, for the love of God," Bones whined.

"Exactly, doctor," said Spock.

"See, Spock gets it," Jim nodded.

"You can't ask me to stand by while the natives crucify you!"

"Bones, Bones." Kirk gave him an 'I'm disappointed in you' look. "Have you even been listening to me? I'm immune to their weapons, remember? I never said anything about a crucifixion. I think all this God stuff is going to your head."

"Fine, you win. As long as you won't be in any true danger." McCoy scowled, looking down at his captain and commander's entwined fingers. "What do I have to do?"

Kirk grinned at him. "Here's my plan…"

.~.

_Hours later_

_Flashes of green light… fuck my head hurts… Bones will fix it…why did I ever interfere… care too fucking much…where's Spock…Enterprise safe? Wasn't supposed to hurt…damn drugs better start working soon… _

Jim gradually regained his bearings as he awoke to find himself in Sickbay, surrounded by his Chief Medical Officer, his Chief Engineer, and his Spock, who was looking as gorgeous as ever.

"Woah - it's the three wise men come to pay me homage," the Captain quipped as he struggled to sit up in bed. He tried to remember what happened to land him in this position, but it was hopeless. There was some mission that he'd gotten stranded with Uhura and Sulu, but that was all that he could recall.

"Very funny, Jim," McCoy scoffed, while Spock's lips quirked and Scotty doubled over in laughter.

"What happened?" Jim asked, wincing as his head continued to pound. It felt like someone had fried his short term memory circuits. Was that even possible? "The details are kinda fuzzy."

"We did just like you planned – I gave you that tri-ox compound to simulate death, and you pretended to succumb to the P'tarian weapons. All the people in the crowd thought you were dead, and blamed the Empire for it, so at least that worked. We were able to retrieve your body and beam back up to the ship."

"So why does my head feel like shit?" Kirk asked.

"I think you had an allergic reaction when the energy from the weapons connected with the tri-ox in your bloodstream."

"And here I thought the pain was supposed to be simulated," Kirk said with a groan.

"Sometimes things dinnae work out the way we planned," Scotty said wisely, thinking of his exile on Delta Vega.

"I'll give you a sedative if you want," McCoy offered. "That'll take care of the pain, at least temporarily."

"Nah, just discharge me," Jim pleaded. "Spock will take care of me."

"Indeed, I will. A meld will lessen the pain," the Vulcan assured him.

"Go back to your quarters, then. See if I care if it takes you forever to recover." The doctor waved them off. "C'mon Scotty, we'll leave them to it."

"Allow me, Captain." Spock picked up his t'hy'la bridal style, as if he weighed no more than a PADD. Kirk protested, but the Vulcan paid him no mind as he knew it was the most efficient way of transporting him to their quarters.

He deposited his mate on their bed, removed his shoes, and climbed in next to him.

"I don't want to hurt you," Jim said in a small voice, as Spock's long fingers inched towards his meld points.

"You will not. As you know, all Vulcans are trained in pain-reduction techniques since childhood. Your fears are unfounded."

"If you're sure."

"I am." The Vulcan's dark eyes softened. "Please Jim, let me help."

How could Kirk say no to that? He closed his eyes and dropped his shields, allowing Spock to enter his mind for the first time in three months…

.~.

_Two months later_

Thanks to Spock's excellent mental care, Jim had made a full recovery. Unfortunately his ordeal was just beginning. An anonymous crewmember on the _Enterprise_ had leaked to Starfleet how the captain had broken the Prime Directive, and a trial had been called to investigate the claim. The trial of _James Kirk versus Starfleet_ was the headline on all the major news stations. Spock was deeply concerned about the outcome of the trial, as he knew Jim had made enemies in the Admiralty in those who were jealous of his talent and skill at such a young age. But his captain didn't seem to take his warnings seriously.

"I'm telling you, you're worrying for nothing," Jim ribbed his t'hy'la as they climbed the steps to the court house.

"Starfleet does not take infractions such as breaking the Prime Directive lightly, especially now, after the incident on Camus II." Spock reminded him.

"Yeah, yeah. That may be true for ordinary people, but I'm James T. Kirk, golden boy of Starfleet, Savior of Earth. I was acting in the P'tarian's interest." He smirked at his Vulcan. "Trust me; they won't lock me away for that. The worst I'll get is a three month's vacation," Jim predicted.

"I hope you are correct," was all Spock said. He took a seat behind Jim and his lawyer Sam Cogley. The attorney was another reason why Jim was so confident – the man had never lost a case. However, there was a first time for everything.

"James Kirk, please approach the bench."

Spock inwardly cursed their rotten luck, for presiding over the trial was Admiral Komack. He had been one of the members of the admiralty who had tried to make Jim look like an incompetent buffoon in the first few years of his captaincy. Needless to say, Spock despised the man for his unwarranted bias against his bondmate.

The Vulcan surreptitiously glared daggers at Komack as Kirk was sworn in. A hush fell over the courtroom as the captain took the stand.

"In your own words, please tell the judge exactly how you interfered in the P'tari society," Starfleet's attorney asked, as she began her examination.

"Gladly." Kirk gave her his biggest smile. "I won't deny that I impersonated a deity. But you should've been there; the freedoms we enjoy today don't exist! The common people were overtaxed and underpaid. The education system was in shambles, and don't even get me started on their health care…"

"What did you do to enact change?" The woman asked when Jim finished his sob story.

"I taught them that how they were being treated was wrong. That peace, love, and tolerance were virtues that should be at the heart of every civilization. That I came from a place where people of all skin colors worked together side by side, as equals. That it was possible for their world to emulate mine. And it was already starting to happen before I left! The citizens of P'taria were planning to overthrow their Emperor very soon."

"And instead, they looked to you as a leader."

Jim cleared his throat. "Essentially yes, but after I left, I entrusted a book full of my teachings to my worthy successor – a woman who would not use them for corruption."

"Did you or did you not take actions to convince the P'tari that you had died for their sins?"

"Yes, I did." Jim's tongue traced his bottom lip before disappearing into his mouth. "An act of martyrdom can unite a society, solidify their beliefs."

"Please elaborate on how you achieved this."

"It was pretty easy, actually." Spock was worried about the flippant attitude his bondmate was displaying.

/Jim, you sound overconfident./

/That's because I am. Stop worrying!/

"I planned it all beforehand," Kirk explained. "Dr. McCoy gave me a tri-ox compound which helped to simulate death. I told the crowd that I no longer cared to use my "power" to keep me safe from their shock-inducing weapons. After screaming my head off, I grew still. Spock rushed up to me and proclaimed that I was dead. Bones commed Scotty and had me beamed up shortly after, which of course solidified my godly status. Spock and Bones walked a good distance away from the city before calling for a beam up themselves."

The lawyer stared at Kirk for a long moment before uttering, "No further questions, your honor."

"See, piece of cake," Jim whispered, as he slid back into his seat in front of Spock. The Vulcan was not so certain…

.~.

_One week later_

Jim and Spock watched the outcome of the trial from their shared apartment in San Francisco.

"Guilty? How could they find me guilty?" Jim's normally gleaming blue eyes were filled with anguish. "I just can't believe it – life in a penal colony? Fuck that! Starfleet can't afford to lose me!"

"Admiral Komack has always held a grudge against you, ever since you upstaged him on Atlantis IV," Spock reminded him. "Also, citing the recent time-travel case as precedent was a fair move. He is using you as an example to prove that Starfleet is serious about upholding the Prime Directive."

"But so much about the directive is subjective!" Jim insisted. "I'm going to appeal."

"You cannot, I have already exhausted that option." Spock's eyes were filled with regret, as he knew there was little he could do to ease his bondmate's pain.

"But that's bullshit!" Kirk growled. "On what grounds can they deny me an appeal?"

"It is part of the new law that just passed, concerning cases to do with the Prime Directive."

"But how can that be legal?" Jim whispered. "There has to be something we can do."

"There is," Spock said, gently rubbing his mate's back. "I have informed my father of your circumstance. He may be able to change your sentence from life in a penal colony to life on the Vulcan colony."

Kirk perked up at that. At least he could do something worthwhile on Spock's new homeworld. "But you're not sure."

"No, I cannot be for certain it will work," Spock admitted. "Vulcan law can be tricky. As you are considered to be Vulcan only by marriage, it is unclear if you will qualify for protection."

"Dammit!" Jim swore. "I never would've interfered with the P'tari if I'd known I'd lose the_ Enterprise_ and my freedom."

"Are you certain of that?"

Jim sighed. "No. I just wanted to help the slaves. I don't think I could've just turned a blind eye and let them suffer."

"This is partly why I fell in love with you," Spock reminded him. "You place the value of others' happiness above your own."

"But in all honesty, at the time I didn't know I'd have to sacrifice so much," Jim admitted. "Face it, Spock, I'm no messiah."

"Perhaps the man known as Jesus Christ did not intend to sacrifice much either," Spock suggested. "There is no way to truly know what motivated the actions of the one who began the Christian movement. It is possible that he was faced with a similar situation."

"That he was an alien who sent a message of love and hope to those who were enslaved by the current society, and faked his own death for the betterment of another species?"

"…And when he returned to his homeworld the consequences were more severe than he originally thought," Spock finished. "While there are endless permutations and possibilities of that story, yours is only one of the many._"_

"Maybe." Jim considered it. "But I doubt Jesus had an amazing bondmate to help him through his time of trial." He held out his two forefingers and Spock brushed them with his own in the traditional Vulcan ozh'esta.

_Three days later_

A form of good news arrived, but it only complicated matters for the bondmates.

"My father has come to an arrangement with Starfleet." Spock announced, after he closed his communicator. "If you serve time in the penal colony for the next ten years, you will be released only to head straight to the Vulcan colony. Is this sufficient?"

Jim sighed, and looked down at the floor. "Spock, I-I appreciate everything that your dad has done, but I can't do this to you. I won't. I'll only be holding you back."

"No, Jim-"

Kirk interrupted him. "What about your research? _You're _not forbidden from setting foot on a starship."

"Jim, I-" Spock tried again, but was once again cut off.

"If you want to have the bond dissolved, I'll understand. You have my permission; I won't hold it against you. We can still be friends, if you want." Kirk gave him a pleading look.

The Vulcan took a step back, truly offended by his mate's words. "Jim, Vulcans do not abandon their mates even in dire circumstances. I will not leave you in your time of need. The thought never occurred to me."

"But what about your career? Jim asked softly. "Isn't that important too?"

Spock shook his head. "I would not enjoy an assignment on a ship without you as my captain."

"You shouldn't have to give up doing what you love just for me." Kirk bit his lip. "That's not fair."

The Vulcan raised an eyebrow. "I would gladly do so if it meant I could stay with the man that I love."

"Spock." Jim stared at his bondmate with such gratitude. "What did I do to deserve you?"

The Vulcan easily deflected the compliment. "Jim, do you know what day it is?"

"Uh, Saturday?"

Spock resisted the urge to perform the Terran gesture known as 'facepalming'. "As of five seconds ago, it is now December 25 according to the Terran Gregorian calendar."

"Merry Christmas, Spock. I'm going to jail," Jim deadpanned.

"As am I, but only as a temporary resident."

"But-"

"I will be allowed to come and go as I please." The hard tone in Spock's voice implied that this was the end of their discussion. "It is my choice to co-habitate with you, no matter where you live." The Vulcan reached up and caressed his mate's right cheek, fingers ghosting over the meld points. "Do not despair, t'hy'la. At least now you will have plenty of time to assist me with my… research."

Jim cracked a smile. "Does this research have anything to do with the biology of Vulcans?"

"Most assuredly, Jim."

Kirk flung himself around his mate, hugging him tightly. If Spock could joke about it, who was Jim to stay down?

As long as Spock could come and go from jail as he pleased, Jim was amenable to the situation. He didn't like it, of course, but at least he wasn't denied access to his t'hy'la. Ten years wasn't _that_ long, not when humans were living into their 100s these days. And in the mean time, maybe Starfleet would even let him teach a class or two via videoconferencing.

As Spock often said, there were always possibilities.

.~.

Epilogue

_Ten Years Later_

Kirk and Spock arrived at the New Vulcan colony unnoticed. Jim preferred it that way – he'd had enough media attention over the last ten years, thank you. He wanted to spend his first day of freedom with his mate without the interruption of pesky reporters.

"Well, Spock, I guess I'm officially a Vulcan now."

"Perhaps you are on paper, but you could not be Vulcan if you tried," Spock reminded him. "And I would not ask it of you."

"Good." Jim's smile was as carefree as it was before his decade-long imprisonment. Not that he'd been idle during that time – Starfleet had allowed him to continue on as a command instructor, through means of video conferencing. He also spoke out in regards to giving aid for the Vulcan colony, how it was the Federation's duty to support the continuous rebuilding of their society.

His Vulcan's eyes gleamed with excitement. "I have something to show you."

Spock took Jim by the hand and practically dragged them to the center of the nearby park. Jim noticed the bulky, amorphous shape as they approached it. At a closer look, he realized it was a statue, a statue of two people…wait, one of them was Vulcan – the ears were quite distinctive. _Hey, that's me and Spock! _He silently read the inscription at the bottom.

_To those who furthered the life of the Vulcan people._ The former captain turned to his mate in surprise. "Spock, I didn't have anything to do with the creation of the Vulcan colony. Sure, I visited a few times way back during the rebuilding phase, but-"

"That is not to which the statue is referring. They are acknowledging your efforts saving those who were on the planet at the time."

"But you were the one that beamed down to the surface – at great risk to yourself I might add – and rescued the elders from the Katric Ark," Kirk argued.

"That is true," Spock acknowledged. "However, after you knocked out the _Narada_'s drill, the transporters once again became operable. I could not have beamed to the surface without your efforts. Also, communications were reestablished which allowed the _Enterprise_ to warn Vulcan's inhabitants of the impending destruction of their homeworld."

"Oh," Jim said in a small voice. "I guess when you look at it that way I did have something to do with it."

"Indeed, you did. Merry Christmas, Jim. This is my gift to you."

"Thank you." They locked eyes, and Spock once again fell under Jim's spell. But it was broken just as easily. "Um, I don't wanna sound ungrateful, but can we get inside?" Jim gave him an apologetic smile. "Me and heat just don't mix."

"I should have realized. Follow me."

Spock led them out of the park, and back to the hovercar. It only took them a few minutes to fly to their new house. They sat in companionable silence, each anticipating the beginning of their new private life together.

Jim eagerly jumped out of the craft, ran up to the entrance, and opened the door only to find…

"Surprise!"

The entire bridge crew of the _Enterprise _was waiting for them. McCoy, Scott, Uhura, Sulu, Chekov, Giotto, Chapel, Rand… all had taken time out from their vacations with their families to visit their former captain.

"You guys!" Jim tried to choke out words of appreciation, but they would not come. "I don't know what to say."

"Say thank you," McCoy suggested as he busted out the champagne. He made sure everyone had a glass, even Spock.

"Thanks." Jim swallowed hard, overcome with emotion as he gripped his champagne flute. "No, really, I mean it. Thanks are really inadequate, but they are all I have to share at the moment. I'm so glad to see you all!"

Spock placed a comforting hand around the small of his ashaya's back.

/Do not worry, none of them are staying the night here./

/Oh good./ He grinned knowingly at his Vulcan. Both of them were looking forward to 'christening' the house later that night.

"Look, Jim. Mistletoe." Spock pointed at the plant that was hanging above the door.

"Why, Spock," Kirk gasped. "I never thought you were such an exhibitionist."

"He wasn't until he met you," Uhura ventured, which of course caused Spock's face to green. Jim was about to plant one on his mate when he heard a familiar voice calling his name.

"Keptain Kirk! Keptain Kirk!"

He took pity on the poor man, who looked as if he might explode. Turning away from Spock, he said, "Yes Chekov, what is it?"

"I haf wonderful news! Ze head of Starfleet has announced his retirement!" The Russian announced. "'Course it will take him six months to transition out, but it's a start, da?"

Jim gulped down the rest of his champagne. "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to see that bastard Komack leave Starfleet, but I don't know why you think I'd care so much. I'm done with Starfleet, remember?"

Spock wondered what he'd done to deserve such a brilliant yet obtuse bondmate. "Komack's successor shall be Admiral Pike." He gave Jim a pointed look. "Need I go on?"

"You mean…" Jim's eyes widened. "You think he'll re-open my case?"

"I would say the odds of that are in the 99th percentile." Spock gave his captain an innocent look.

"How long have you known about this?"

"Two weeks and two days. It was difficult to shield the truth from you," the Vulcan admitted. "But I wanted everyone to see your reaction."

"You're so sneaky, you know that?" Jim scowled at his mate, but his words were tinged with affection.

"I do not know what you mean, Jim."

"Not to burst your bubble or anything," McCoy cut in. "But there are no guarantees that Pike can get your charges dropped."

"No, but there's a chance," said Jim. "And that gives me hope. And speaking of hope…"

He gave his bondmate a gentle kiss. "I couldn't have gotten through my stay in prison without Spock. I told him he was wasting his time sticking around with me, but he wouldn't listen. He's too loyal for his own good."

"It was only logical that I stay with that which I cannot live without." Spock held out two fingers, and Jim returned the Vulcan gesture, proclaiming to all who saw that they were bonded.

"To Jim and Spock, everyone!" McCoy raised his glass.

"To Jim and Spock," the rest of the guests echoed.

"To us," Jim declared, then pulled Spock off to the side.

"What is it?" The Vulcan asked softly as Jim leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"Over the past ten years I've learned that it doesn't matter where I live, prison, here, the _Enterprise – _as long as I have you by my side, I'm happy."

"That is the best present you could ever give me." Spock's eyes shone with relief, and thought that maybe, just maybe, their hard times were over.

_End_

A/N: Thanks for everyone who hounded me to get this done! Hope everyone liked this, even though it's not the usual holiday fare.

P.S. Bonus points for people who spot all of the Christian references!


End file.
